What’s the R number of MLM schemes?

[ReeseWitherfork]

Goodness me the MLMs are ramping up! Or is it just the people I associate with?!

So I don’t have a “am I being unreasonable” but rather “how do I reasonably tell people they’re being idiots?” Does no one do any research before joining one? Because I can’t imagine google is telling them it’s a good idea.

I’ve only ever replied to texts telling me people have joined with a “thanks! xx” Has anyone been braver?

My friend - a genuinely lovely person, who works super long hours to provide for her daughter who is on the SEND register, is super careful about researching everything and super savvy - has just been sucked into one of these. It’s scentsy. It’s been able to happen because her other “friend” has brainwashed her, convinced her all the google results are lies, written by people trying to discredit them and that she can make extra money for Christmas doing it. She’s been convinced to have an online “party” where she had to sell 2 “burners” in order to get a freebie. Because she’s normally so savvy, loads of her other friends got roped in and she sold loads of stuff to them at extortionate prices. I had a couple of mutual friends message and ask why I hadn’t purchased. I started by giving them the MLM Spiel (it’s all bollocks) and they told me that I was being super unsupportive and especially now I should consider “helping our friend”. I ended up declining the invite and eventually when word got out I got a message from the friend, and explained I had genuinely been at work.
It’s a bloody nightmare, minefield and such a shame to see people get sucked in!

I treat MLM like toddler whinging and pretend I can't hear/see it at all. So I just completely ignore any messages from friends about MLM stuff. I reckon they send them to so many people they won't be expecting me to reply. I don't have the inclination to explain why I don't buy MLM stuff, cba getting into discussion about it and don't see why I should even politely decline invitations, I just ignore full stop.

I hate how they are trying to pose as women in business. They are NOT. Women in business are smart and strong and usually good role models. They don't (usually) try to scam their family and mates.
Frankly, these mlm peddlers who recruit are an embarrassment rather than women in business.

I have one MLM bot who totally mystifies me. She has a professional job as a Vet. Her DH runs a successful accountancy practise. Her kids are well into their teenage years and they easily manage to work around family commitments.

Yet she's still on FB posting shite about the Bodyshop, how she's looking to "grow her team", how she's so "blessed" to be part of the Bodyshop family, posting how she's been promoted to Uber Ultra Diamond deputy Platinum status and how a-may-zing it all is.

I've come to the conclusion that it's entirely possible to be booksmart enough to qualify as a Vet and at the same time be thick as mince.

There seems to be a strong correlation between MLMers and peddlers of bullshit conspiracy theories. Can’t think why.

You have to be brutal, there’s no way round it.

My younger sister (mid twenties but very naive) called me excitedly a few months ago with a ‘great idea’ she wanted my help with. Turns out her friend is a body shop seller and was right on the cusp on recruiting. I explained very clearly that it was MLM/Pyramid selling and she got very affronted and defensive, eventually hung up on me. She later texted me angrily saying ‘you didn’t have a go at mum when she joined Avon’ and I had to point out that A) I was like, ten when our mum joined Avon and B) they weren’t a MLM back then. I also sent her a few links and videos and she eventually conceded.

Had she already joined when she called me I’m not sure if she would have been so easy to admit defeat, but it certainly made me see why people get sucked in- I was being very clear with her before she lost a penny and she was still defensive. People don’t want to admit they’ve been fooled.

Im embarrassed for these mlm huns...dont they realise how ridiculous the constant inspirational fb posts are....my Yooooooooonique bot has jumped ship to another mlm....you'd think she'd realise she's not going to make any money and get a proper job.

@ThisMustBeMyDream

When I was 17, I was at a local park pushing my pram with my then 4 month old son in. A woman approached me and started gushing over my baby, as often happens. Before I knew it she was saying how it must be really tough for me with a young baby, and she could help me make extra money by selling Avon. Of course I had heard of Avon, and assumed this was a reputable business and a good opportunity. She arranged to come to my home later that day, and proceeded to sign me up. Except I was 17. So I couldn't be legally signed up. No problem she said, she would sign my 19 year old DP up instead and I could just do the work under his name.

Shady. As. Fuck.

I realised on month 2 what a con it all was. I was sexually assaulted on the door to door part to boot.

Fancy stooping so low as to wait round a local park looking for mums with babies to recruit to your cult? Scum. Absolute scum. I suppose the same women now just use social media instead, but still.... disgusting behaviour.

ThisMustBeMyDream

That is utterly disgusting! How bloody dare she!

She should end up with a criminal record for that stunt.

I consider having to buy MLM shite a friendship tax of sorts. I would rather my friends earned their own money legitimately rather than guilt tripping me and others into supporting them.

I have a couple on social media. The ones I find the worse are the buy a raffle ticket to win these great prizes...some Avon stuff with total ticket sales netting Avon rep £75 begging family and friends to buy tickets

I unfollow the lazy buggers. That's not a business you aren't a powerful business woman living your best life WAKE UP

@6079SmithW

Does selling Avon/Partylite/Bodyshop count? At least four of my Facebook have started these recently. I must be invited to a virtual party or raffle or bingo or quiz at least three times a week. I try to be supportive (I've liked their Fb pages) but there's only so much make up or bath stuff I need. Also I really don't want to waste my evenings doing online things, especially when they're just big sales pitches. I've been politely declining invites with various excuses but it is becoming annoying now.

Ues they all count. Who wants to spend evenings watching someone put overpriced make up on with a trowel Or be asked to spare a few quid for a raffle...for a lazy person who just copies and pastes the same old drivel

I have one on my Instagram which I leave on just to see what they will post!

It's just full of shite but it does make me laugh.

It must be a full time job posting it all, its relentless and I wonder why she doesn't realise that she must be on about 5p an hour.

And the thing is I've never come across a man doing this type of thing.

Are there male focused MLM's? I've never seen any?

Might be a gap in the market there

I've never encountered any MLM stuff from friends (although sometimes I wish I did, just for the entertainment value...) but I've definitely seen more 'coaching' stuff on LinkedIn. I recently 'linked' with an academic friend and within a day or so I'd had a request from a woman I've never heard of who is an 'entrepreneur' and 'life coach'.

I do have a friend who does Neal's Yard though but, like @Heidi1976, she doesn't push it, she just runs it along side a therapy business. If you'd like something she'll order it for you, and she uses their products in massages I think, but she's absolutely never done parties or pressuring anyone to buy from her.

@ReeseWitherfork my comment about being a customer applies to all MLM 'business owners' even the ones that wont admit it. They buy the start up pack, they buy samples, they buy branded materials to use like catalouges to send out (nothing is free to the 'business owner'). They get a commision on sales but the mlm still make the most profit on an item. Then they sign up new customers for the mlm through recruiting. At no stage are they running a business as they have no control over any of it, cant choose stock outside the mlm, cant set prices, cant create their own marketing materials. At best they are commision based sales reps but as they dont have fixed patches and are encouraged to create competetors by signing up friends and family the mlm is making it very clear they value the signups rather than sucssesfull long term sales from an individual.

I've never thought about them actively increasing the competition but that's what it is.

I wonder if the people in charge make the most money off getting the starter pack sold to the new recruits

You can't.

Last summer I was in a friend's shop when another friend came in carrying a 2 litre botle of some aloe vera thing. The conversation turned from shop owners bsiness to the aloe vera product. I was, eventually, quite rude on behalf of shop owning friend.

AV left in high dudgeon.

Shop owner asked me whay I had got angry so I explained. She had had 3 other customers come in for her services, AV had approached them too! It was affecting business, all 3 left without engaging shop owner in any real conversation even though you wouldn't enter her shop to browse, she sells a service, there is nothing to browse!

I had to point out that it wasn't usual to talk a bottle of aloe vera for a walk!

@NancyBotwinBloom for sure, the recruiter gets a commision that has been worked into the price as well as the mlm's overhead and profit. Its why even decent mlm products are still overpriced.

Never knew Avon is now considered MLM. I've never used them but always perceived Avon as being similar quality/price to standard high street brands you'd find in Boots, just a different mechanism of selling so that they pocket all of the sales margin minus some commission for the rep (which is probably less than the margin they'd give to a retailer like Boots).

My mum has placed orders with the local Avon rep (a lady who lived a couple streets away) for about 20 years. As far as I know the local rep had her assigned 'patch' to basically drum up business, take orders and deliver to door. I have not witnessed or been told of any attempts to recruit my mum as a rep, and have not heard about lots of other reps also appearing in the area - which I thought is the real sign of an MLM with the focus being on recruitment as opposed to selling product?

It’s the fake friendliness I can’t stand!!

I was added recently out of the blue by a friend of a friend, I’d met her a few times before over the years at mutual friends birthdays/nights out and that sort of thing but were never really friends beyond that. All of a sudden she requests me on Facebook, tags me to all these competitions and ‘tag 5 friends’ stuff but also suddenly keeps messaging on FB messenger ‘Hi! How have you been doing? So nice to see what you and your LOs have been up to!’ Etc It’s so cringey and false and just so annoyingly obvious and a bit rude really.

Also the blatant lies on their ‘selling pages’ about making so much money ‘SO easily’ and how they’re bringing in more cash than with any other job they’ve worked, yet when you look at all their posts there is either ZERO likes and interactions from anybody despite them posting constantly, or the only people commenting about how amazing the product is are all being gushing and OTT and you realise they are also ‘reps’ from the same company who just comment on each others stuff. There’s so much fakery and deceit.

I get how people can initially be sucked in, what I don’t understand is when people seem to jump from one MLM to another, surely they’ve learnt that they just don’t work regardless of what overpriced product you are pushing.

I keep getting “xxx has invited you to xxx group”

I know there is no point arguing about what they are selling so I just decline the invite. Doesn’t stop them inviting me again a month later

But if you tell them, they always have a come back from the script

For example “you do know it’s a pyramid scheme right!”

“Oh no it’s not hun! Pyramid schemes are illegal and they aren’t allowed so it can’t be”

Riiiiiight

I have a very clever friend who has a PhD and hides her MLM behind "health coaching". She advertises herself as a personal; trainer and nutritionist, it is only when you sign up for her bootcamps or healthy eating plan do you see that it is all based on Herbalife.

It must be a full time job posting it all, its relentless and I wonder why she doesn't realise that she must be on about 5p an hour.
Or -5p an hour! Great username @NancyBotwinBloom - Nancy Botwin was in somewhat of an MLM but at least her product was a good one 😉

It’s really hard when the first start up because they’re all so excited and keen and then that quickly turns into desperation.

My business page, really quite a niche service, keeps getting hit by those invitations. I delete them as they make my page look daft!

A friend has recently chosen to tell me she is disappointed that I deleted her post as I wasn't supporting her business, wasn't growing a menaingful partnership with her. I replied, publicly, that Herbalife doesn't protect against dilapidations and damage in residential lettings!

May have lost that friend!

I agree. Luckily no friends have joined up but some leaders of my DS's sports club are into one. It feels really unethical that they are using their sports contacts to try and peddle some weight loss shit. I have made the decision to withdraw DS due to various issues but this is a part of it. I get they are probably struggling during Corona virus times but to FB message people who they only have as contacts via our kids sports group just feels really wrong. They also put stuff about it on the FB sports group page - how great and fit they feel on the meal replacements etc. I dread to think of the fact that they have teens playing the sport also so they are getting a drip feed of "change your body".